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Technology · head to head

Excalidraw vs Kami

Excalidraw logo

Excalidraw

Technology

Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kami logo

Kami

Productivity

The ultimate document annotation and collaboration tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Excalidraw advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+; Kami the free Basic plan exposes only about 10 of the 40 or more tools
  • They diverge on capability: Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Kami covers PDF annotation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Excalidraw and Kami actually diverge.

Attributes where Excalidraw and Kami differ
AttributeExcalidrawKami
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome Extension, IOS, Android
CategoryTechnologyProductivity
Founded20202013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Excalidraw

  • Hand-drawn style diagrams
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Infinite canvas
  • Shape libraries
  • Text support
  • Image import
  • Export options
  • Keyboard shortcuts

Only in Kami

  • PDF annotation
  • Drawing tools
  • Text tools
  • Voice comments
  • Text-to-speech
  • OCR
  • Split/merge PDFs
  • Video embedding

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Excalidraw

  • Wireframing and diagrammingnot Kami
  • Real-time collaborative whiteboardingnot Kami
  • Hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decksnot Kami
  • Embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm packagenot Kami
  • Visual planning and note-takingnot Kami

Kami

  • Free document collaboration for individualsnot Excalidraw
  • Professional document management with advanced toolsnot Excalidraw
  • Dedicated account management for workplace teamsnot Excalidraw
  • K-12 and higher education document workflowsnot Excalidraw

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Excalidraw

  • Advanced features (unlimited private scenes/folders, cloud storage, access management, presentations, extended AI, team management) are gated behind Excalidraw+
  • Free hosted version persists via scene links/local storage rather than a managed multi-scene workspace
  • Self-hosting the full collaborative stack requires standing up a websocket server and storage beyond the npm editor package
  • No official native desktop or app-store mobile apps - web/PWA only

Kami

  • The free Basic plan exposes only about 10 of the 40 or more tools
  • Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas and Microsoft Teams integrations require the Teacher plan at $149 per year
  • School and district licensing including domain wide deployment is custom priced and requires a quote
  • Non education users pay separate Workplace plans at $85 or $220 per year rather than the education rate
  • A dedicated account manager is only available on the School or District plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Excalidraw

Free
  • Excalidraw+$6/month
    • Unlimited private scenes and folders
    • Cloud storage
    • Access management

Kami

Free
  • Basic (Free)Free
    • 10+ essential tools
    • Google Drive and OneDrive integration
    • Unlimited collaborators
  • Pro$12/month
    • All 40+ tools and features
    • Unlimited pages and document types
    • Priority support
  • Work$25/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Free onboarding and training
    • Dedicated Account Manager
  • Teacher Plan$149/year
    • All 40+ tools and features
    • Full LMS integrations (Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Teams)
    • Free onboarding and training

Which should you pick?

Choose Excalidraw if

  • You need hand-drawn style diagrams.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Excalidraw review

Choose Kami if

  • You need pdf annotation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome Extension, IOS, Android.
  • You also want drawing tools.
Kami review

Questions people ask

Is Excalidraw or Kami better?
Neither clearly leads. Excalidraw starts at Free and Kami at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Excalidraw or Kami?
Excalidraw starts at Free and Kami at Free.
Does Excalidraw or Kami run on more platforms?
Excalidraw runs on Web. Kami runs on Web, Chrome Extension, IOS, Android.
Can I use Excalidraw for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Excalidraw best used for?
Excalidraw is most often used for wireframing and diagramming, real-time collaborative whiteboarding, hand-drawn-style illustrations for docs and decks, embedding a whiteboard into third-party apps via the npm package. Of those, wireframing and diagramming and real-time collaborative whiteboarding are not what Kami is typically brought in for.
What can Excalidraw do that Kami cannot?
Excalidraw covers Hand-drawn style diagrams, Real-time collaboration, Infinite canvas, Shape libraries. Kami covers PDF annotation, Drawing tools, Text tools, Voice comments. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Excalidraw: Is Excalidraw free?

Excalidraw appears to be a free drawing application available at no cost to users. The website does not display information about pricing tiers or premium features, suggesting it is offered as a free service.

Source
Kami: Does Kami offer a free plan and what does it include?

Yes, Kami's free Basic plan includes 10+ essential tools, unlimited collaborators, Google Drive/OneDrive integration, and 1,000+ templates. Full feature access requires Pro or higher tiers.

Source
Excalidraw: Does Excalidraw offer paid plans?

No pricing tiers or paid upgrade options are mentioned on the Excalidraw website, which indicates the service is available entirely free without commercial pricing models.

Source
Kami: What is the cheapest paid plan for Kami and what does it cost?

Pro plan is $12/month ($85/year when billed annually) and includes all 40+ tools, unlimited pages, and priority support for workplace users.

Source
Kami: Are there Kami plans designed specifically for educators?

Yes, the Teacher plan costs $149/year and includes all 40+ tools, full LMS integrations (Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Teams), free onboarding, and priority support with a 30-day free trial.

Source
Kami: How much do Kami School or District plans cost?

School and District plans do not publish pricing and require contacting Kami for custom quotes. These plans include domain-wide deployment, dedicated account managers, and full LMS integrations.

Source
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